In picture. A win on Wednesday could give the Sixers the advantage and move them one spot closer as they would come up on the heels of the Detroit Pistons.But Wednesday’s Christmas Day slate game is far from a locked win for Philadelphia.

As Joel Embiid writhed in pain on the ground, a cohort of Sixers staffers stared in disbelief. The game hadn’t even started yet. It was just warmups. But somehow, Embiid managed to stumble on a security guard’s foot and twist his ankle less than an hour before the 76ers’ Christmas Day game against the Celtics.

Joel Embiid popped up from a pregame fall and scored 27 points with nine rebounds, making 4 of 5 from 3-point range and sinking a pair of free throws with 3 seconds left to turn back Boston's final rally and lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 118-114 victory on Wednesday.